A small number of domestic flights have taken off after the volcanic ash cloud
cleared from some parts of UK airspace, but the main London airports are now "unlikely
to open today".

Planes from Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Newcastle airports were given permission to take off from 7am, but passengers in the rest of Britain faced confusion as airtraffic controllers backtracked on plans to reopen runways further south.

Some airspace in England is expected to reopen from 1pm, although the main London airports remain closed for the forseeable future after the Eyjafjallajokull volcano showed signs of intensifying activity.

Flights from Heathrow and Gatwick are "unlikely" today, according to air traffic control company Nats.

The news brings fresh uncertainty for more than 150,000 Brtions stranded abroad and the airlines that are losing millions of pounds every day they are forced to cancel operations.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, urged travellers trapped on the continent to head for Calais, amid fears that disruption to flights will continue for days.

In an update shortly before 3am today, Nats said: "Since our last statement at 9pm yesterday, the volcano eruption in Iceland has strengthened and a new ash cloud is spreading south and east towards the UK.

"This demonstrates the dynamic and rapidly changing conditions in which we are working.

"Latest information from the Met Office shows that the situation is variable.

"The information shows that Scottish airports should be available from 7am and more airspace over England may become available from 1pm although not as far south as the main London airports."

The first flight took off from Glasgow airport bound for Stornoway at around 7.15am and a handful of others to Scottish airports are scheduled for this morning.

However, British Airways announced it cancelled all short-haul flights today based on the latest information about the volcanic ash cloud.

The airline said it hoped to run long-haul flights scheduled to depart after 4pm, depending on a "full and permanent" opening of airspace.

It urged passengers to check flight details on ba.com before leaving for the airport.

EasyJet said all its flights to and from northern Europe including the UK were cancelled until 5pm, but it would continue to operate routes in southern Europe.

The airlines now face a "huge logistical operation" as they prepare to resume service and clear the huge backlog, with planes and crew not in the right places.

And planes might not be back in the air for long as air traffic control company Nats said the conditions were changing rapidly.

Thousands of Britons remain trapped all over the world, along with numerous overseas tourists keen to leave via UK airports.

Stranded holidaymakers in Europe headed to Channel ports in their droves to make their own way home by road, rail and sea, while the Government called on Royal Navy vessels to assist.

A luxury cruise liner is also being dispatched to Bilbao to pick up 2,000 Britons.

People hoping to travel through France by rail to make their way back to the UK were further delayed by a French strike over pay and conditions.

For those still hoping to travel, the lifting of flight restrictions will not necessarily herald good news straightaway, according to travel industry representatives.

Frances Tuke, spokeswoman for Abta - The Travel Association, said: "The latest news is a great development.

"However, that does not mean everything will go back to normal.

"We don't know whether this is going to be a temporary situation or a permanent one.

"We don't know what is going to happen with the eruption so there is that to consider.

"The other thing to remember is that aircraft and crew are going to be in the wrong place.

"I know for example that some of our tour operators have decided to cancel their programmes going out of the UK in order that they can try to reposition their aircraft and crew.

"It's a huge logistical operation."

She warned that as attempts are made to restore order to travel plans, some of the Britons currently abroad could find those on scheduled flights are allowed to fly before those who have been stuck at airports or hotels for days.

"I don't have the detailed logistics of what is going to happen," she added. "I know that some of our bigger members are planning to have conference calls to talk about logistics.

"I would imagine it will take quite a few days to sort people out because we are looking, in terms of British people who are abroad, at five days' worth of people.

"Some of those people might have made their own way back to the UK, especially if they have been in Europe, but not everybody has been able to do that."

BA has estimated that the flight ban had cost it around £15 million to £20 million a day.

Willie Walsh, BA chief executive, questioned the necessity of the hitherto "blanket ban" on flights, and also said that European carriers had asked the EU and national governments for financial compensation.

The British Air Transport Association, with signatories and support from all major UK airlines, wrote to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis asking the Government "to commit to standing behind the industry financially at this very difficult time".

The International Air Transport Association was also highly critical of the European response to the ash crisis which, it estimated, is costing the aviation industry around 200 million dollars (£130 million) a day.